After Cyclists Protest, Toronto Will Protect Downtown Bike Lanes

The addition of plastic posts should make Toronto’s downtown bike lanes self-enforcing. Photo: I Bike TO

Toronto striped two buffered bike lanes in July and is preparing to add another. Local cyclists were expecting the lanes to have some physical protection to keep out illegally-parked cars and shield riders from traffic, but as we noted yesterday, they were alarmed when the city failed to add any separation besides paint.

When local bike advocates refused to accept the un-protected lanes as a finished product, Toronto officials bowed to the pressure and agreed to add protective plastic posts to the three new bike lanes. (Physical barriers, even plastic bollards, have been found to have a dramatic effect on ridership.)

Jared Kolb of advocacy group Cycle Toronto says officials shouldn’t stop there. He told Now Toronto the city should be experimenting with more substantial forms of protection such as curbs and concrete planters, especially on pilot projects like the new downtown bike lanes.